Do You Love your Now?

“I’ll be so glad when she can drive herself to all the places she needs to be.”

At one time or another I’ve said every one of those statements in my 29 years of mothering. They were honest longings that I spoke when life felt a bit overwhelming.

What I didn’t realize is that they also represented my discontentment with reality and my inability to love my now. Without realizing it, I was wishing away my child’s childhood and wishing for yet another season that would bring about its struggles as well.

If I could go back and give my younger self some wisdom, here’s what I’d say:

“I can’t wait until she can walk.” Oh yes you can. Once she can walk, she’ll never stay where you put her. The infant years are fleeting and there’s something so precious about snuggling a little one and listening to the coos and giggles of a baby learning to find their voice.

“I’ll be one happy mom when we don’t have to buy diapers anymore.” Once you’re out of diapers, you will have to know where EVERY bathroom is anywhere you go. You’ll need to carry extra underwear and a plastic bag everywhere you go just in case of an accident. You might even find yourself attached to the clock, taking your newly potty-trained child to the bathroom every 30-60 minutes to prevent an accident!

“I’m so ready for him to go to school.” The preschool years are filled with imagination, and giggles, and pretend. There’s something very innocent about discovering the beauty of the world through a preschoolers eyes. School years bring about more schedules, the beginning of many years of homework, and educational requirements that will be part of your life for many, many years.

“I’ll be so glad when she can drive herself to all the places she needs to be.” When you drive your child places, it gives you uninterrupted talk time with your teen. Not only that, but when you are driving your kids and their friends places, you can be a fly on the wall and learn A LOT about what is going on in the world (both good and bad!). Once they drive themselves, you lose out on some natural talk time.

Don’t get me wrong…each season of motherhood has its unique challenges and benefits. As we learn to love our now, we increase our contentment for the season of motherhood you are in.